Ball-collecting device for pool-tables.



MPH OLSEN.

BALL COLLECTING DEVICE FOB. POOL TABLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, 1910.

1,046,844. Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

2 SHEETS-*SHEET l.

M. H. OLSEN. BALL COLLECTING DEVICE FOR POOL TABLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, 1910. 1,046,844.

Pat ented Dec. 10, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN H. OLSEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BALL-COLLECTING DEVICE FOR POOL-TABLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 11, 1910. Serial No. 571,890.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

turning them to the table at the conclusion of a game and preparatory to the beginning of another.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 whose front end normally projects between is a perspective view of one end of a pool table embodying my invention; Fig. 2 a top plan view of the table with the rails and bed of the table removed to ex ose the chutes or run-ways for the balls eneath; Fig. 3 an elevation of the end of the table shown in Fig. 1, with a part of the racks for the balls broken away to expose the balls within; Fig. 4 an enlarged vertical section approximately on the line 44 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 a detail view showing the deflector for directing the balls into one or another of the racks at will; and Fig. 6 a detail of the movable stop which normally prevents the discharge of the balls fromthe racks into the basket.

The same letters of reference are used to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The pool table A, of the usual or any suitable construction, is provided at its four corners and at the middle of its sides with the usual pockets B, which communicate beneath the bed of the table with a series of chutes or run-ways C so inclined and connected as to carry the pocketed balls to the front end of the table, shown in Fig. 1. The discharge end of the final one of these run-ways communicates atthe front end of the table with two laterally-extending racks C and G", into one or the'other of which the balls are directed at will by a deflector D, best shown in Figs. 4 and 5. This deflector D is secured at its forward end to the lower end of a vertical rod or rock-shaft E to whose upper end is secured a laterallyprojecting arm F which has connected to it the inner end of apush rod- G provided with a handle at its outer end, by means of which the deflector D may be manipulated to cause its inner end to swing to the one side or the other of the discharge end of the chute C, Fig. 5. Assuming that a game is being played by two persons, the right-hand rack .C will be assigned to one of them and the left-hand rack C to the other, and by means of the-deflector D and its operating devices the balls pocketed by each player will be directed into the rack assigned to him. A convenient practice will be to have. each player reverse the position of the deflector at the beginning of his turn of play.

For the purpose of retaining the balls in the racks C and C until the conclusion of the game there is provided the movable stop-plate H, best shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 6,

the discharge ends of the racks and prevents the escape of the balls. The rear end of this stop plate H, which is mounted in suitable guideways to slide backward and forward, has secured to itthe lower end of a lever I whose upper end has connected to it the inner end of a rod J whose front end projects forwardly through the side wall of the table and is provided with a handle by which it may be pulled outward at will. A spring K surrounding the rod J and confined between a collar thereon and the wall. of the table presses the rod J inward and the stop-plate H outward and yieldingly holds them in normal position. When the balls are to be discharged from the racks the rod J is pulled outward and the plate H thereby withdrawn from the path of the balls.

The balls are discharged from the racks into a basket L suspended by arms M M from a rock shaft N mounted in hearings in bracket lates O secured to and projecting forward y from the front end of the body of the table. At the conclusion of a game, and preparatory to the beginning 0 another, the rod J is operated to discharge the balls from the racks into the basket L, whereupon the latter is swung upward to the position indicated b the dotted lines in Fig. 1, and caused to ischarge the balls into the triangle P upon the table, by means of which they may then be positioned for play in the usual manner. The basket L may be thus swung upward over the end of the table entirely by hand, or partly or wholly by means of a treadle Q connected by a rod R to an arm or crank S fast upon the end of the rock-shaft N to which the u per ends of the basket-supporting arms M are secured.

The treadle Q and its connections may be emplo ed either for-the purpose of merely swingingthe basket upward into convenientreach'of the player, from which point it may be carried on upward by hand, or the construction and adjustment of the parts may be such that the basket may be lifted entirely to the top of the table by means of the treadle.-

In case the treadle and its connections are omitted, and the basket swung upward entirely by hand, any suitable hinged support for the u per end of the arms M M may be employe 'sincethe rock shaft N is essential only in event the treadle is used.

What is claimed is:

1. A tacle for the balls thereon, a basket normally suspended below the receptacle and adapted to receive the balls therefrom, and meansfor raising the basket to discharge the balls upon the table.

2. A pool table having a stationary rack .or receptacle, a basket mounted upon movable supports by which it may be swung beneath the stationary receptacle to receive the balls therefrom and away from the same, a treadle, and connections from the treadle to the movable supports whereby the basket may be swung up into a position to discharge the balls upon the table.

3. A pool table having the usual pockets,

runways or chutes leading therefrom to a.

common discharge, racks communicating with the discharge, a deflector for directing balls into either rack at will, said racks extending in opposite directions from said discharge, and each consisting of an upper and .a lower section each slightly inclined and connected at their outer ends, said lower sections-united to a common outlet.

4. A-pool table having the usual pockets,

runways or chutes leadmg therefrom to a balls into either rack at will, said racks extending in opposite directions from said discharge and running to a common outlet below the same, and a stop plate arranged between the outlet ends of the racks adapted to retain the balls within the chutes.

6. The combination, with a pool table having run-ways leading from the pockets to a discharge opening at the front end of the table, of a basket hung upon hinged sup- 1 table having a stationary recepports beneath said discharge opening, to receive the balls, and 'adapted'to-be swung upward over the .end of the table to discharge the balls upon the table; substantially as described.

' 7. The combination, with a pool table hav-' ing run-ways leading from the pockets to a discharge opening at the front end of the table, of a basket hung upon hinged sup- 'ports beneath said discharge opening, to receive the balls, and a treadle and connections between the same and said basket for swinging the latter upward to or toward a POSI- tion to dischargetheballs upon the table;

substantially as described.'

8. The combination, with a pool table having run-ways leading from the pockets to a discharge opening at the front end of the table, of a basket hung beneath said discharge opening upon arms secured at their upper ends to a suitably mounted rock shaft a foot-treadle, and a link connecting said treadle to a crank upon said rock shaft, to

cause the depression of the treadle to rock the shaft and swing the basket upward; substantially as described.

9. The pool table A having the pockets B and the run-ways 0 leading therefrom to a discharge opening at the front end of the table, in combination with the racks 'C. and

C the deflector D for directing the balls.

into one or the other of said racks, the vertical rock shaft E to which the deflector D is secured, the arm F fast upon said rock shaft, and the rod G connected to the arm F for operating the deflector; substantially as described.

1 0. The pool table A having the pockets B and the run-ways C leading therefrom to a discharge opening at the front end of the table, in combination with the racks C and C the deflector D and suitable means for operating it to direct the balls at will into one or the other of said racks, the sliding stop-plate H for controlling the discharge of the balls from said racks, the lever 1 connected at its lower end to said plate, andthe operating rod J connected to the upper end of said lever; substantially as described. 11. The pool table A having the pockets B and the run-ways C leading therefrom to a discharge opening at the front end of the table, in combination with the racks C and C the deflector D and suitable means for operating it to direct the balls at will into one or the other of said racks, the sliding stop-plate H for controlling the discharge of the balls from said racks, the lever I connected at its lower end to said plate, the

operating rod J connected to. the upper endof said lever, and a spring, as K, for holding the stop-plate and connected parts in normal position; substantially as described.

' 12. The pool table A having the pockets B and the run-ways 0 leading therefrom to a discharge opening at the front end of the table, in combination with the basket L, and the hinged supportin arms M M for said basket, permitting 'sald basket to normally hang in a position to receive the balls from the discharge opening and to be swung ugward at will into position to dischar e t balls ugon the table; substantia y as describe .c v

13. The pool table A having the pockets B and the run-ways C leadin therefrom to a discharge opening at the ront. end of the table, in combination with the basket L, the rock-shaft N, the arms M M fast at their upper ends upon said rock-shaft and hinged at their lower ends to the basket L, the crank S projecting from the rock-shaft N, the treadle Q and the link R eonnectin said treadle with the crank S; substantia y as described.

14. In a ball collecting device for dpool tables, a receptacle,- a central longitu mal runwai leading thereto and branch runways from t e several pockets to the central run way, the points of junction of the branch runways with the central runway being spaced apart, substantially as shown.

MARTIN H. OLSEN. Witnesses:

ROBERT DOBBERMAN, LoUIs B. EBWIN; 

